Apparatus affording interchange of cylinders in printing presses



June 19, 1962 w G. ZIMMER ETAL 3,039,387

APPARATUS AFFORDING INTERCHANGE OF CYLINDERS IN PRINTING FRESSES Filed Aug. 13, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 19, 1962 w. G. ZIMMER ETAL 3, 8

APPARATUS AFFORDING INTERCHANGE OF CYLINDERS IN PRINTING PRESSEZS Filed Aug. 13, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 I INVENTORS June 19, 1962 w. G. ZIMMER ETAL 3,039,387

APPARATUS AFFORDING INTERCHANGE OF CYLINDERS IN PRINTING PRESSES Filed Aug. 15. 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 20%, Vwi {(9 @g June 19, 1962 w. G. ZIMMER ETAL 3,039,387

APPARATUS AFFORDING INTERCHANGE. OF

CYLINDERS IN PRINTING PRESSES 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Aug. 13, 1959 June 1962 w. G. ZIMMER ETAL 3,039,387

APPARATUS AFFORDING INTERCHANGE OF CYLINDERS IN PRINTING PRESSES Filed Aug. 13, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 bl I :1

United States Patent 3,039,387 APPARATUS AFFORDING INTERCHANGE F CYLINDERS IN PRINTING PRESSES William G. Zimmer, Villa Park, 11]., Alfred C. Behringer,

Ringwood, N.J., and Vernon J. Hilgoe, Lombard, and

Stanley E. Sheifer, Riverside, Ill., assignors to Miehle- Goss-Dexter, Incorporated, Wilmington, Del., a corporation of Delaware Filed Aug. 13, 1959, Ser. No. 833,466 25 Claims. (Cl. 101-216) This invention has to do with rotary printing presses and is more particularly concerned with intaglio or other printing presses which employ interchangeable cylinders.

The general aim of the invention is to simplify and facilitate the changing of cylinders in a printing press.

It is an important object of the invention to eliminate the previous need to install, and then remove and transport to a storage location, rails for supporting a cylinder which is to be put in or taken out of a press.

A related object is to provide for movement of a cylinder-supporting arm to a stowed position on the press where it serves the additional function of closing off a passage in the press frame to retain a re-enforcing block or wedge in place.

Another object of the invention is to provide for continuous rolling support of a cylinder as it is moved into or out of a press frame and yet to make it possible for bearings to be slipped onto or off of the cylinder shaft while the cylinder is at rest just outside of the frame.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a block or wedge which not only closely fits within and reenforcingly closes a frame passage through which the cylinder shaft is moved into or from its running position, but which also completes an ink seal around the shaft to prevent leakage of ink from the cylinder into the cylinder bearing.

Still another object is to cause the movement of a cylinder support arm from its stowed position to its operating position to break away or loosen a block or wedge disposed in the frame assage, so that such block can then be readily removed by hand.

One of the most important objects of the invention is to provide an extremely solid and precisely located support for the shafts of interchangeable cylinders, the weight of the cylinder being transferred from its shaft through a bearing and thence through a crescent-shaped bearing seat supported over a large angular are by the Walls of an aperture in the press frame. In this sense, it is an object to provide for solid, accurately located journaled support of a cylinder shaft by a crescent-shaped bearing seat greater than 180 in arcuate extent, such seat cooperating with a circular aperture in the press frame which has its wall cut out over an arc of less than 180 to create an entrance and exit passage.

It is another object of the invention to keep the weight or load off of a bearing seat after the latter has received a cylinder shaft and bearing, thereby making it easier to rotate the bearing seat. A related object is to elevate slightly the cylinder shaft and bearing before their removal from the press frame, thereby breaking any adhesive effect of dried ink.

A further object is to provide for the lifting or lowering of the cylinder shaft oif of or onto its bearing seat as an incident to switching of a cylinder supporting arm to its operating or stowed positions, respectively.

An additional object is to provide for convenient storage of custom-fitted blocks or wedges removed from the press frame during interchanging of cylinders, and in a manner to assure that such wedges are always returned to the particular frame passages to which they are especially fitted.

3,039,387. Patented June 19, 1962 It is also an object of the invention to provide a seat in a press frame to receive the anti-friction bearing of a cylinder shaft, such seat being closed off to complete a lubricant seal after receiving a bearing and then being rotated to a shaft-cradling position.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent as the following description proceeds, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of an intaglio printing press unit employing an exemplary and preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary perspective view corresponding to a part of FIG. 1, and showing the relationship of the movable parts during the installation or removal of a printing cylinder into or from the press;

FIG, 3 is similar to FIG. 2, but illustrates the relationship of the parts prior to installation or just after removal of the printing cylinder;

FIG. 4 is afragmentary detail view taken in section substantially along the line 4-4 in FIG. 3 and showing storage support means for the removable wedge;

FIG. 5 is a vertical section taken substantially along the line 55 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic plan view taken substantially along the lines 66 in FIG. 9 and showing an arrangement of offset rails;

FIGS. 7-9 are diagrammatic views showing the sequence of steps in removing and installing a cylinder;

FIG. 10 is a diagrammatic detail view showing the operation of wedge dislodging means; and

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along the line 1111 in FIG. 5 and illustrating an ink seal with two separable parts.

While the invention has been shown and is described in some detail with reference to a particular embodiment thereof, there is no intention that it thus be limited to such detail. On the contrary, it is intended here to cover all modifications, alternative constructions and equivalents falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

The intaglio printing unit 12 shown in FIG. 1 employs an image or design cylinder 14 which has a very smooth surface etched to form a number of small depressions corresponding to the picture or copy to be printed. Ink in a fountain 15 which surrounds all but the upper portion of the cylinder 14 is applied to that surface and then scraped or squeegeed off by a doctor blade (not visible) as the cylinder rotates. This leaves small quantities of ink in the depressions, such ink being transferred to a paper web (not shown) as it runs between the printing cylinder 14 and a cooperating impression cylinder 16. The web then passes to drying means, other printing units, and folding and delivery means which are well known to those skilled in the art and thus need not be described. The impression cylinder 16 is driven from the printing cylinder 14 and the latter is powered by means which need not be described in detail.

As best shown in FIG. 3, the intaglio or gravure printing cylinder 14 is a large and heavy cylinder having a smooth metallic plated surface 14a. The cylinder is formed with an integral, central shaft 18 which projects at its opposite ends. Each end of the shaft 18 receives a sleeve 19 having a radially extending flange or slinger 20 closely adjacent the main body of the cylinder. The purpose of this slinger will be made clear below.

When successive printing runs for printing different projects or copy are made, it is necessary to change bodily all of the printing cylinders 14 in the press units. The image of the copy to be printed is formed directly on the metallic surface 14a of the cylinders 14 by a well known gravure acid etching process. When a cylinder has completed a printing run, it is necessary that it be ape-ass? removed from the press, and the surface re-plated and re-etched before it can be used again. Very often the etching process is carried out in a separate room located at some distance from the press itself.

It is with the apparatus or mechanism which affords convenient changing of printing cylinders in the press unit that the present invention is concerned.

As shown in FIG. 1, the cylinder 14 when completely installed in the unit 12 rotates almost totally enclosed within the ink fountain 15, the end shafts 18 of the cylinder being supported and journaled for rotation in spaced vertical frames 25. When the cylinder 14 is to be removed from the unit 12, the outermost hinged wall 15a of the fountain 15 is manually swung to a lowered position (FIG. 2) so that there is no obstruction to the removal of the cylinder body. Inasmuch as the components associated with the two frames 25 for removably supporting the two ends of the cylinder shaft 18 are the same, a description of one will suffice for both.

The press frame 25 is a vertically disposed metal part which is to support the weight of the printing cylinder 14 as well as the superimposed impression cylinder 16 and the other drying cylinders shown in FIG. 1. To afford removal and insertion of different printing cylinders 14, the frame25 is formed with an aperture 26 therein, such aperture being generally circular in shape but opening into a substantially horizontal passage 23 which extends to the right edge of the frame as viewed in FIGS. 1 3. As shown by FIG. 2 or 9, the aperture 26 and the passage 28 together form a keyhole shaped cut-out in the frame 25, that is, the circular wall of the aperture 26 is interrupted over an are of considerably less than 180 (actually, about 90) by the passage 26. The passage 28 is sufficiently wide in a vertical direction to permit entry or exit of the cylinder shaft 18, and an anti-friction bearing 29 thereon, into or out of the aperture 26.

As noted previously, the gravure printing cylinder 14 may be quite large and heavy. It is usually moved to or from the press location by a crane and sling. In order to support the cylinder 14 adjacent the press unit and in a manner such that its end shaft may readily be inserted into the frame once it has been delivered by a crane or the like, an arm 30 is mounted on the edge of the frame 25 and disposed in a position to project horizontally therefrom at a point adjacent the mouth of the passage 28. With the arm 39 in the position shown by FIGS. 2 and 3, the cylinder 14 may be lowered onto the outer ends thereof and retained against rolling oif by an upwardly curved portion 31a of an inner rail 31. When at rest in the position illustrated in FIG. 3, the surface of the cylinder may be cleaned or otherwise treated following or prior to the printing run.

It is highly desirable to employ anti-friction roller bearings or ball bearings for journaling the heavy cylinders 14 in the press unit. These bearings are, however, quite expensive and they are desirably kept away from the acids which are used to etch and clean the surfaces of printing cylinders. Thus, the best procedure is to remove the anti-friction bearings from the cylinder shafts as the cylinders are taken out of a press, and to replace such hearings on the cylinder shaft only just prior to insertion of the cylinder back into the press unit. To aid in this, there is here provided a storage pocket 32 hinged to the press frame 25 to swing between an opened and closed position, and adapted to store the anti-friction bearing 29 (FIG. 3). To make it possible for the bearing 29 to be slipped onto the sleeve 19 of the shaft 18 while the cylinder 14 is at rest, the support arm 30 is formed with offset, overlapping rails. As best shown in FIG. 6, the first rail 31 near the outer extremity of the arm 30 supports the cylinder at a point inboard of the normal axial location of the bearing 29'. Thus, with the cylinder in the position illustrated by FIGS. 3 and 6, the bearing may be readily slipped axially onto or off of the shaft 18 and the sleeve 19 thereon.

Following such application of the bearing 29 to the shaft 18, the latter may be rolled inwardly toward the press frame 25. With this, the weight of the shaft 18 is transferred from the first rail 31 to a second rail 34 formed on the arm 30. It will be apparent from FIG. 6 that the rail 31 extends from the extremity of the arm 30 to a point short of the mouth of the passage 28, while a second rail 34 spaced transversely from the first extends from a point spaced inwardly of the arm extremity. The rails 31 and 34 partially overlap in a lengthwise direction so that the point at which the shaft 18 is supported is transferred from the inner side of the bearing 29* to the outer side of that hearing. The second rail 34 on the arm 30 lies flush with a continuation rail 35 carried on the frame 25. The rail 35 extends alongside the passage 28 and the aperture 26, so that the shaft 18 may be rollingly supported on this rail as it is moved through the passage 28 and into or out of the aperture 26. The surface of the rail 35 under these conditions is so elevated that the bearing 29 on the shaft 18 is clear of the lower wall of the passage 28, and so that the weight of the shaft 18 and cylinder 14 is on the rail 35 after the shaft has fully entered the aperture 26.

In order to receive the shaft 18, with its bearing 29 thereon, so as to support and journal the cylinder 14 captively in the frame 25, a bearing seat 38 is disposed within the aperture 26 and movable between shaft-receiving and shaft-retaining positions. As here illustrated, the bearing seat 38 is shaped generally in the form of a crescent, and is mounted within the aperture 26 so as to be rotatable about its own center of curvature or axis relative to the frame '25. When in the position shown in FIG. 9, the mouth of the crescent-shaped bearing seat alines with the passage 23 so that the shaft 18 and the bearing 29 may be moved into or out of the seat. However, the bearing seat 38 is considerably greater in arcuate extent than 180, its cut-out portion or mouth subtending only the angle ,6 (FIG. 9) on the outer surface of the seat.

With the shaft and bearing located in the bearing seat 38, as shown by FiG. 8, an arcuate closure member 39 may be moved through the passage 28 in order to comlete a ring-like enclosure for the bearing 29. The arcuate surfaces of the bearing seat 38 and its closure member 39 closely embrace the surface of the sleeve 19 on the outer side of the bearing 29 (Nil. 5) to protectively enclose the latter. It will be observed from FIGS. 2 and 5 that an arcuate retainer plate 43 is fixed to the outer surface of the frame 25 to keep the seat 38 in the aperture 26.

After the shaft 18 and closure member 39 have been located in the aperture 26, the bearing seat 38 may be rotated to its shaft-locking position. As illustrated in FIG. 7, the bearing seat and its closure member 39 are bodily rotated until the latter is disposed uppermost in the aperture 26, the seat 38 thereby forming a cradle which positively retains the bearing 29 and the shaft 18 in the aperture 26. Moreover, owing to the fact that the walls of the bearing seat 38 and aperture 26 extend over arcs of more than 180, the bearing seat in the position of FIG. 7 derives support directly from the solid frame 25 over an are 0 which is considerably more than For affording such rotation of the bearing seat 38 be tween its loading position (FIG. 9) and its locking position (FIG. 7), a variety of mechanisms may be employed. As here shown, a gear segment 40 is rigidly fixed (as by bolts 40a) to the bearing seat 38 and meshed with a pinion 41 journaled on a stud 41a bolted to the frame 25 just beneath the aperture 26 (FIG. 5). The pinion 41 has rigidly bolted thereto a sprocket 42 receiving a chain 44 trained over a drive sprocket 45 (FIG. 7) journaled adjacent the forward edge of the frame and integral With a hand crank 46. Rotationof the crank 45 in opposite directions, therefore, turns the bearing seat 38 from its loading to its locking position or vice versa.

It is preferable that the bearing seat 38 be positively locked in either of its two positions and for this purpose a spring-biased latch member 48 (FIG. 3) may be selec tively withdrawn from locking notches 49 cut into a stud 50 on which the sprocket 45 is journaled. When the hand crank 46 is in either of its two final positions, the latch 48 is released so that it enters one of the notches 49 and thus locks the crank and the bearing seat 38 in that final position.

After the closure member 39 for the bearing seat 38 is inserted into the aperture 26, a frame re-enforcing block 51 is inserted into the passage 28. As here illustrated, the passage 28 is tapered inwardly from its mouth toward the aperture 26, and the block 51 is correspondingly wedge-shaped. The upper and lower surfaces of the block 51 are precisely milled and then hand-lapped to snugly fit within the passage 28, thereby re-enforcing the frame and reducing vibrations when the press unit is running at high speeds. Because the wedge 51 insertable into the passage 28 of each frame member 25 is precisely sized to fit within that passage, it is important that each wedge always be returned to the passage of a particular frame, as will be further noted below. The inner end of the wedge 51 is arcuate in shape so that it closes and completes the circular aperture 26. This lends further support and stability to the bearing seat 38 when the latter is in its operating position illustrated by FIGS. 1 and 7.

The block or wedge 51 performs still another important function, however. In intaglio presses, the ink within the closed ink fountain is relatively volatile and of low viscosity. Leakage of ink from the fountain is a problem. There is a possibility that ink might travel along the cylinder shaft 18, entering into the anti-friction bearing and harmfully diluting the lubricant for that hearing. It is,

therefore, a conventional practice to provide a labyrinth type ink seal with a slinger flange therein to prevent this travel of ink outwardly along a cylinder shaft.

In the present apparatus, an arcuate seal part 52 (FIGS. 3 and 11) is bolted or otherwise fixed to the inner face of the frame member 25, such part receiving the slinger flange when the shaft 18 is fully positioned within the aperture 26. To complete this labyrinth ink seal, the inner edge of wedge 51 is provided with a second arcuate seal part 53 which is sized and located as to cooperatively fit with the first seal structure on the frame member and totally and snugly embrace the shaft 18 and the slinger flange 20. Thus, with the wedge 51 in place, a first running ink seal exists at 60 (FIG. 5) to prevent movement of ink toward the outer end of the shaft 18. Any ink which passes the sealing point 60 and reaches the flange 20 is spun outwardly into seal housing 61 by the centrifugal force of the flange 20, and such ink then drains through an opening 62 back into the ink fountain. Finally, the seal parts 52 and 53 have sealing engagement at 63 (FIG. 5) with the sleeve 19, closing off the bearing seat to keep lubricant in the bearing and ink out. The insertion of the Wedge 51 into the passage 28, therefore, not only re-enforces the frame 25 but completes the ink seal structure just described.

In accordance with one of the features of the present invention, means are provided to afford movement of the arm to a stowed position, while retaining it mounted on the press frame 25. Indeed, pivot means are provided to afford swinging of the arm 30 upwardly to the vertical position shown by FIGS. 1 and 7, and where that arm also closes the mouth of the passage 28, thereby retaining the wedge 51 in the passage 28.

As here shown, the arm 30 is rigidly connected to a pintle 65 which is journaled for rotation in a block 66, the latter being integral with or fixed by suitable fasteners to the edge of the frame 25. This pivot connection of the arm 30 tothe frame 25 permits the latter to be swung downwardly to its horizontal position illustrated by FIGS. 2, 3, 8 and 9 where stop surfaces 67 (FIGS. 7 and 8) abut the frame 25. On the other hand, the press operator may grasp a handle 68 near the outer end of the arm 30 and swing the latter upwardly to the vertical position (FIG. 1) where the rails 31 and 34 embrace the frame 25. This movement of the arm 30 to its vertical position will result in engagement of a spring-biased snap-acting latch member 69 which passes through a hole 70 in the rail 31 and positively holds the arm 30 in its vertical position.

When the shaft 18 with the sleeve 19 and bearing 29 thereon were inserted into the aperture 26 and the bearing seat 38 rotated to the closed position shown by FIG. 7, as previously described, the weight of the cylinder 14 was still supported by the shaft 18 resting on the rail 35. That is, the support surface of the rail 35 is in the elevated position shown by FIGS. 2, 3, 8 and 9 during insertion of the cylinder and lock-up movement of the bearing seat. This support of the cylinder by the rail 35 keeps weight off of the bearing seat 38, facilitating the rotation of the latter from its loading position (FIG. 9) to its locking position (FIG. 7). If the weight of the cylinder were imposed on the bearing seat, considerable effort might be required to rotate the latter.

In accordance with one feature of the invention, means are provided to lower the support surface of the rail 35 and thus to place the weight of the bearing 29 and bearing seat 3 8 on the walls of the aperture 26 as an incident to movement of the support arm 30 to its stowed position. In order to effect this lowering of the rail 35, the latter is attached to the frame 25 at its inner end by suitable pivot means here shown as a bolt 72. The opposite or outermost end of the rail 35 rests on the periphery of a head 74 of the pintle 65 which acts as a cam. The cam head '74 is formed with a flatted or chord portion 74a (FIGS. 7-9) which swings uppermost when the arm 30 is moved to its stowed position. Thus, if the arm 30 and the cam portion 74a are swung from the position illustrated in FIG. 8 to that shown in FIG. 7, the outer end of the rail 35 is lowered slightly in coming to rest on the flatted surface 74a. This causes the rail 35 to rock downwardly a slight amount about the pivot bolt 72, opening a slight clearance 75 (FIG. 5) between the surface of the rail and the shaft 18. In this manner, the bearing 29 is lowered to rest fully on the seat 38, and the bearing seat in turn rest fully on the walls of aperture 26 in the frame 25. Thus, with movement of the support arm 30 to the stowed position so that all of the parts occupy the relationship illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 7, the printing cylinder 14 is fully installed in the unit 12, and the latter is ready for a printing run.

At the end of the printing run it is a relatively simple matter to remove the printing cylinder by following the above described steps in reverse sequence. This removal of the cylinder will be described, however, in order to point out additional structural features and their functions.

As a first step to remove the cylinder 14, the latch pin 69 is momentarily pulled outward and clear of the hole 70 in the arm 30, and the latter is swung downwardly to its horizontal position. Compare FIGS. 7 and 8. After an extended printing run, it may frequently happen that some ink has come between and dried to stick together the two parts 52, 53 (FIG. 11) of the labyrinth ink seal. Moreover, the extended running of the press may cause the close-fitting wedge 51 to stick within the passage 28. That is, it may be extremely difficult to manually withdraw the Wedge 51 from the passage 28 simply by grasping the handle 78 provided on the wedge after the arm 30 has been swung downwardly.

In accordance with another feature of the invention, provision is made to break away or slightly dislodge the wedge 51 as an incident to movement of the arm 39 from its vertical stowed position to its horizontal cylinder supporting position.

For this purpose, a latch member 80 (FIG. 2) is pivotally connected at 81 to the central Web of the wedge 51 and biased upwardly against a stop 82 by suitable means such as a leaf spring 83. The latch 80 is so located that, with the Wedge 51 in the passage 28, it will engage and hook under a cross pin 84 disposed on the arm 30 as the latter is swung to its stowed position. This movement of the arm 30 to its stowed position causes the pin 84 to depress the latch 80 and the latter then snaps into locking engagement with the pin. When the arm is moved from its stowed position toward its horizontal position, as illustrated by FIG. 10-, the pin 84 first exerts an outward force on the latch Sil and the wedge 51, the force being multiplied by the leverage or mechanical advantage created as a result of the handle 68 being located at a greater distance from the pivot pintle 65 than the pin 84. When, however, the arm 30 has been rotated through a small angle a (FIG. 10) the pin 84 rising on an are 36 clears the tip of the latch 80, so that the arm may be moved fully to its horizontal position while the wedge 51 is left in a position only slightly withdrawn from the passage 28. Thus, a considerable mechanical advantage is provided to break away the wedge 51 from the walls of the passage 28 as an incident to swinging of the arm 30 from its stowed to its loading position.

It will also be observed that as the arm 30 is swung downwardly to its horizontal position, the cam portion 74 of the pintle 65 raises the outer end of the rail 35 and causes the latter to swing upwardly about the pivot bolt 72. Accordingly, the clearance 75 (FIG. between the rail and the shaft 18 is eliminated and, indeed, the weight of the shaft 18 is totally borne on the rail 35. This relieves the weight of the cylinder 14 from the hearing 29 and the bearing seat 38, slightly lifting both from the walls of the frame aperture 26. Ifby chance condensed or escaped ink has dried to stick the bearing seat 38 to the walls of the aperture, that dried ink is cracked or broken to free the seat as an incident to slight elevation of the rail 35. Thus, an operator may withdraw the latch 48 (FIG. 3) from the locking notch 49 in the stud 5d, and easily turn the crank 46 to rotate the hearing seat 38 to the unloading position illustrated in FIGS. 2, 3, 8 and 9.

Prior to removal of the cylinder .14 from the frame 25, the wedge 51, previously loosened, is removed from the passage 28 and placed in a storage location. Since this wedge 51 is precisely fitted to the passage 28 of the particular frame 25, it is desirable first that it be returned to that same passage when the next cylinder is received, and second, that the surfaces thereof be kept clean and free of dirt or foreign particles. In realizing these objectives, provision is here made to support the wedge 51 in a stowed position adjacent the frame 25 when that wedge is removed from the passage 28. As here illustrated FIGS. 3 and 4, the wedge 51 and arm 30 are formed with cooperative dovetail formations permitting the former to be slipped onto and supported by the latter. Specifically, the lowermost side of the arm 30 is formed with an elongated T-shaped projection or flange 90 which depends from the arm 30 when the latter is in its horizontal position. The upper surface of the wedge 51 is formed with an inverted T-shaped slot 91 so that the wedge 51 may be slipped onto the flange 90 and thus supported in a stowed position on the arm 30 as illustrated in FIGS. 3, 4 and 9. It is but a simple matter for the press operator to grasp the handle 78 of the wedge 51 after the latter has been broken away from the passage 28, to pull the wedge out of the passage, and to slip it into stowed and supported relation on the flange 90. This assures that the wedge 51 is kept off of the floor, so that its surfaces remain clean; and it also assures that each of the several wedges 51 associated with a number of press units is kept close by the frame to which it is custom-fitted, so that each wedge is always returned to the particular passage 28 for which it is adapted.

After the wedge 51 has been removed from the pass sage 28, the arm 30 having previously been moved to its horizontal position, and the hand crank 46 rotated to bring the bearing seat 38 to the unloading position shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the bearing seat closure member 39 may be readily removed from the aperture 26. The cylinder shaft 18 is then'rolled outwardly on the rails 35 and 34- to the rail 31. In this position, the hearing 29 may be slipped off of the shaft 18 and sleeve 19 and placed in the storage pocket 32. Thus, the cylinder has been completely removed from the frame and is ready to be carried away by appropriate means such as a sling and crane. Once a given cylinder has been carried away, a new one may be transported to the location of a press unit, lowered into a position resting on the rails 31 of the arms 35). The bearing may then be placed on the new cylinder shaft, and the cylinder inserted into the frame 25 as previously described.

This arrangement for affording interchanging of printing cylinders 14 is one which brings marked advantages and conveniences to the art. First, the arms 30 need never be bodily removed from and installed on the press frame. They are simply swung about their pivot means between the vertical stowed position of FIGS. 1 and 7 and the horizontal, cylindersupporting position of FIGS. 2, 3, 8 and 9. As an incident to such movement of a supporting arm, the rail 35 is raised or lowered, so that the weight of the cylinder is borne during the locking up operations not by the bearing 29 or the bearing seat 38, but only by the rail 35. Thus, rotation of the bearing seat 38 between its loading or unloading position (FIGS. 8 and 9) and its locking or cradling position (FIG. 7), is facilitated. Moreover, slight raising of the shaft 18 by the rail 35 when the arm 30 is swung downwardly, at the end of a printing run, cracks or breaks away any dried ink which might otherwise impeded rotation of the bearing seat 38 to its unloading position.

Further, the closely fitted wedge 51 re-enforces the frame 25 during printing runs and also completes the ink sealing means. That wedge also cooperates with the supporting arm 30 in two ways. First, the latch and the pin 84 serve automatically to break away the wedge 51 after a printing run as an incident to movement of the arm 30 from its stowed position. A considerable mechanical advantage is present to produce this break-away action, so that the wedge is dislodged even though it might tend to stick due to its close fit in the walls of the passage 28 or due to dried ink around the separable ink sealing members. Secondly, the wedge 51 is adapted by the flange and slot 99, 91 (FIG. 4) to be supported in a stowed position on the arm 30, so that its surfaces are kept clean and so that it is always returned to the mating passage of a particular frame 25.

Because offset, longitudinally overlapping rails 31, 34 are provided on the arm 30, the cylinder shaft 18 is initially supported at the inner position of FIG. 3 so that the annular antifriction bearing 29 may be readily slipped onto or off of the shaft. As the shaft is rolled inwardly toward the frame, the point of support is transferred outboard of the bearing .29, so that the shaft may roll from the rail 34 onto the rail 35. Once the bearing and shaft have been located in the crescent-shaped bearing seat 38, the latter is closed up and its lubricant sealing means completed by the member 39, and is then rotated to a shaft cradling position (FIGS. 1 and 7). The latch means 48, 49 associated with the crank 46 assure that the bearing seat 38 will remain inits cradling position, so that the shaft 18 of the cylinder is held captive in the frame 25 and journaled for rotation during printing runs.

And, as a very important feature, the bearing seat 38 when rotated to the locking position shown in FIG. 7 is positively supported directly by the solid' frame 25, i.e., rests on the walls of the aperture 26, over an are or angle 0 which is considerably greater than and is about This large arcuate extent of direct contact between the bearing seat 38 and the frame 25 assures that 9 the shafts of different cylinders are always alined and supported in the same position.

We claim as our invention:

1. In a printing press having interchangeable cylinders with shafts at their opposite ends, the combination comprising a vertically disposed frame having an aperture therein and a substantially horizontal passage opening from such aperture to the edge of the frame, an arm pivotally connected to said frame and movable between first and second positions in which it respectively (a) closes the mouth of said passage and (b) projects horizontally therefrom, first and second transversely spaced, longitudinally offset rails disposed on that side of said arm which is uppermost when the latter is in its second position, an anti-friction bearing slippable onto a cylinder shaft supported on said first rail, a third rail on said frame forming a continuation of said second rail and rollingly supporting said shaft and said bearing thereon as they are moved through said passage into said aperture, a crescent-shaped bearing seat disposed in said aperture and rotatable between first or second positions in which its mouth respectively opens into said passage or vertical- 'ly upward, means for rotating said bearing seat from its first to its second position to lock a shaft cylinder and bearing therein, a block insertable into said passage to re-enforce said frame and retained therein by said arm when the latter is in its first position, means for lowering or raising said third rail as an incident to movement of said arm to its first or second positions, respectively, and means for loosening said block in said passage as an incident to movement of said arm from its first towards its second position.

2. In a printing press having interchangeable cylinders with shafts at their opposite ends, the combination comprising a vertically disposed frame having an aperture therein and a substantially horizontal passage opening from such aperture to the edge of the frame, a first rail adjacent said passage for rollingly supporting a cylinder shaft as the latter is moved into or out of said aperture, an arm extending horizontally from said frame and having a second rail surface alined with said first rail surface for rolling-1y supporting the cylinder shaft as the latter is moved into or out of said passage, a third rail on said ar-m transversely spaced from the second and extending closer to the arm extremity, an anti-friction hearing slippable onto a shaft which is supported on said third rail, a bearing seat disposed in said passage to receive said bearing as a cylinder shaft is rolled over said third, second, and first rails into said aperture, a first ink seal part carried by said frame adjacent said aperture, a block insertable into and closely fitting said passage to re-enforce said frame, a second ink seal part carried by said block and mating with said first part to form a complete seal when said block is in said passage, pivot means connecting said arm to said frame and affording movement of the latter to a vertical stowed position covering the mouth of said passage and retaining said block therein, cam means for raising and lowering said third rail as an incident to movement of said arm respectively to its horizontal and stowed positions, means for loosening said block in said passage as an incident to movement of said arm from its stowed position, and dovetail formations on said arm and block forming means to removably support the latter on the underside of the former when the arm is in its horizontal position.

3. In a printing press having interchangeable cylinders with shafts at their opposite ends, the combination comprising a vertical frame having an aperture therein and a substantially horizontal passage opening from said aperture to the edge of the frame, a crescent-shaped bearing seat rotatably disposed in said aperture to move between first and second positions in which the mouth of the seat opens into said passage or is vertically disposed, a first rail pivoted at its inner end to said frame and extending adjacent to said aperture and passage, an arm pivoted to said frame adjacent the mouth of said passage and movable between first and second positions in which it is (1) Vertically disposed to close the mouth of said passage and (2) horizontally disposed adjacent said passage, cam means supporting the outer end of said rail and connected with said arm for raising and lowering the rail as the arm is moved respectively to its second and first positions, a second rail on said arm which is alined with said first rail when the arm is in its second position, a third rail on said arm offset transversely from said second rail and extending more closely to the extremity of the arm, a removable bearing slippable onto or off of a cylinder shaft supported on said third rail, a wedge fitted to and removably inserted into said passage, means selfengaged as an incident to movement of said arm to its first position for dislodging said wedge in said passage when the arm is swung downwardly, and a rib and slot formation on said arm and wedge for removably supporting the latter from the underside of the former when the arm is in its second position.

4. In a printing press, the combination comprising a vertically disposed frame having an aperture therein and a passage opening substantially horizontally from said aperture to the edge of the frame, an arm pivotally connected to said frame below the mouth of said passage and swingable between substantially vertical and substantially horizontal positions in which it respectively (a) closes the mouth of said passage and (b) extends outwardly from said frame, said arm having a substantially planar surface uppermost when in said horizontal position to form a support surface over which a cylinder shaft can be rolled as it is being inserted into or removed from said aperture.

5. In a printing press having interchangeable cylinders with a shaft at the ends thereof, the combination comprising a vertical frame having an aperture therein for positioning and supporting said cylinder shafts and a substantially horizontal passage providing unobstructed access from said aperture to the edge of the frame, an arm pivotally connected to said frame to swing between substantially vertical and substantially horizontal positions in which it respectively closes the mouth of said passage and extends substantially horizontally outwardly from the floor of said passage, said arm having an uppermost substantially planar shaft supporting surface gen.- erally alined with and extending from the floor of said passage when the arm is in its second position, whereby the shaft of a cylinder may be supported on and rolled over said surface into or out of said passage during interchange.

6. In a printing press having interchangeable cylinders with a shaft at the ends thereof, the combination comprising a vertical frame having an aperture therein and a substantially horizontal passage opening from such aperture to the edge of the frame, a first rail surface in or adjacent said passage for rollingly supporting a cylinder shaft as the latter is moved into or out of said aperture, an arm extending horizontally from said frame and hav ing a second rail surface alined with said first rail surface for rollingly supporting the cylinder shaft as the latter is moved into or out of said passage, and a pivot connection between said frame and arm affording movement of the latter to a substantially vertical position in which it closes the mouth of said passage.

7. In a printing press having interchangeable cylinders with shafts in the ends thereof, the combination comprising -a vertical frame having an aperture therein and a substantially horizontal passage opening from said aperture to the edge of the frame, means for removably supporting and journaling the shaft of a cylinder in said aperture, a block insertable into said passage to substantially fill the latter, an arm pivoted to said frame to swing between first and second positions respectively disposed (a) vertically to close the mouth of said passage and retain said block therein and (b) horizontally to extend spsasev l. i in substantial alinement with the floor of said passage, said arm having a substantially planar surface uppermost when in said second position to afford rolling support of a cylinder shaft as it is rolled into or out of said passage.

8. In a printing press having interchangeable cylinders with shafts at the ends thereof, the combination comprising a vertical frame having an aperture therein and a substantially horizontal passage opening from said aperture to the edge of the frame, means for removably holding a cylinder shaft in said aperture with freedom to rotate relative to said frame, a first rail surface in or adjacent said passage for rollingly supporting the cylinder shaft as the latter is moved into or out of said aperture, an arm extending horizontally from said frame and having a second rail surface alined with said first rail surface for rollingly supporting the cylinder shaft as the latter is moved into or out of said passage, a block insertable into said passage to substantially fill the latter and re-enforce the frame after a cylinder shaft is in said aperture, a pivot connection between said arm and frame affording movement of the arm to a vertical, stowed position in which it covers the mouth of said passage and retains said block therein.

9. In a printing press employing interchangeable cylinders with a shaft at the ends thereof, the combination comprising a vertical frame having an aperture therein and a substantially horizontal passage opening from such aperture to the edge of the frame, an anti-friction bearing removably positionable on a cylinder shaft, a seat in said aperture to receive and support said bearing, first means exterior to the mouth of said passage for rollingly supporting the cylinder shaft at an axial location inwardly of the normal location of said bearing on the shaft so that the bearing may he slipped onto or off of the shaft, second means for rollingly supporting the cylinder shaft at an axial location outwardly of the location of said bearing, said second means extending toward said aperture with its outermost end overlapping the innermost end of said first means, whereby a cylinder shaft with the bearing thereon may be rolled into or out of said aperture,

10. In a printing press employing interchangeable cylinders with shafts at the ends thereof, the combination comprising a frame having an aperture therein and a substantially horizontal passage opening from such passage to the edge of the frame, an arm pivoted to said frame to swing between stowed and support positions, said arm in the support position having means for rollingly supporting a cylinder shaft so that it may be moved into or out of said passage and aperture, a block removably insertable into said passage to re-enfo=rce the frame, and means for loosening said block in said passage as an incident to movement of said arm from its stowed to its support position.

11. In a printing press employing interchangeable cylinders with shafts at the ends thereof, the combination comprising a frame having an aperture therein and a passage opening from such aperture to the edge of the frame, an arm projecting horizontally from said frame and having an upper surface for rollingly supporting a cylinder shaft as the latter is moved into or out of said passage and aperture, a block removably insertable in said passage to re-inforce said frame when a cylinder shaft is in said aperture, a pivot connection between said frame and arm affording movement of the latter to a stowed position where it retains said block in said passage, and means automatically engaged when said arm is moved to said stowed position for loosening said block in said passage as an incident to movement of said arm from its stowed position to its horizontal projecting position.

12. In a printing press employing interchangeable cylinders with shafts at the ends thereof, the combination comprising a vertical frame having an aperture therein and a substantially horizontal passage opening from such passage to the edge of the frame, an arm in a first position projecting horizontally from said frame and having an upper surface disposed to rollingly support a cylinder shaft as the latter is moved into or out of said passage and aperture, a block removably insertable into and precisely fitting with saidpassage, a first arcuate ink seal part carried by said frame and located to partially surround a cylinder shaft which is in said aperture, a second arcuate ink seal part carried by said block to surround the remainder of said shaft when the block is in said passage, a pivot connection between said frame and said arm affording movement of the latter to a second stowed position where it retains said block in said passage, and means for loosening and slightly withdrawing said block from said passage as an incident to movement of said arm from its first to its second position.

13. In a printing press employing interchangeable cylinders with shafts at the ends thereof, the combination comprising a vertical frame having an aperture therein and a substantially horizontal passage opening from said aperture to the edge of the frame, an arm and pivot means connecting the same to said frame to swing between first and second positions in which it is (l) horizontally dis posed to rollingly support cylinder shafts for insertion or removal into or from said aperture and passage and (2) vertically disposed to cover the mouth of said pas sage, a handle on said arm for moving it between said first and second positions, a block removably insertable and snugly fitting in said passage to re-enforce said frame, and latch means engaged as an incident to movement of said arm to its second position when said block is in said passage and forming a connection between the arm and the block, said latch means being spaced more closely to said pivot means than said handle to provide a lever advantage to partially pull said block from said passage when said arm is moved from its second toward its first position.

14. In a press having interchangeable cylinders with shafts at their opposite ends, the combination comprising a vertical frame having an aperture therein and a passage opening substantially horizontally from said passage to the edge of the frame, support means in said aperture to removably receive and support the shaft of a cylinder, a rail carried by said frame and having a first support surface extending along said aperture and passage to support said shaft as it is rolled through said passage into or out of said aperture, an arm extending horizontally from said frame and having a second support surface forming a continuation of said first surface, pivot means connecting said arm to said frame and affording movement of the arm from its horizontally extending position to a stowed position, and means actuated as an incident to movement of said arm to its second position for lowering the first support surface of said rail so that when the shaft is in said aperture the weight of the cylinder is placed on said support means.

15. In a press having interchangeable cylinders with shafts at their opposite ends, the combination comprising a vertical frame having an aperture therein with a substantially horizontal passage opening from such aperture to the edge of the frame, a rail movably mounted on the frame and having a support surface in a first position adjacent the aperture and passage to rollingly support the cylinder shaft, a block removably insertable into said passage to close the latter after the cylinder shaft has been placed in said aperture, an arm pivotally connected to said frame and movable between open and closed position relative to the mouth of said passage, and means actuated as an incident to movement of said arm to its closed position for lowering said rail and the support surface thereon thereby to transfer the weight of the cylinder from the rail to the walls of said aperture.

16. In a press having interchangeable cylinders with shafts at their opposite ends, the combination comprising a vertical frame having an aperture therein and a substantially horizontal passage opening from such aperture to the edge of the frame, a semi-circular bearing seat rotatably disposed in said aperture, means for rotating said seat between (a) a position alined with said passage to receive a cylinder shaft and its bearing and (b) a position cradling said shaft and bearing, an arm, a pintle connected to said arm and journaled in said frame to afford movement of said arm between (1) a first position projecting horizontally from said frame adjacent the mouth of said passage and (2) a second position covering and closing the mouth of said passage, a first rail on said arm for rollingly supporting the shaft of a cylinder when the arm is in said first position, a cam surface on said pintle, a second rail pivoted at one end to said frame and resting at the opposite end on said cam surface, said cam surface forming means to raise and lower the upper surface of said second rail as said arm is moved respectively to its first and second position, said second rail in its raised position being located to form an extension of said first rail to rollingly support the shaft of a cylinder as it is moved into or out of said aperture.

17. In a press having interchangeable cylinders, the combination comprising a vertical frame having an aperture therethrough and a substantially horizontal passage opening from said aperture to the edge of the frame, a block remova bly insertable into and closely fitting with said passage, an arm pivoted to said frame to swing between first and second positions in which it respectively covers and uncovers the mouth of said passage, and cooperating means on said block and arm for removably supporting the former in stowed relation on the latter when the block is removed from said passage and the arm is in said second position.

18. In a press having interchangeable cylinders with shafts projecting from their ends, the combination comprising a vertical frame having an aperture therein and a substantially horizontal passage opening from said aperture to the edge of the frame, means for removably supporting and journaling a cylinder shaft passed through said passage into said aperture, a block removably insertable into said passage and custom-fitted to the walls of the passage, an arm pivoted to the frame to swing between a horizontally extending position and vertical position in which it covers the mouth of said passage, and cooperating dovetail formations on said block and arm for removably and slidably supporting the former on the underside of the latter when the arm is in its open position.

19. In a press having interchangeable cylinders with shafts on their opposite ends, the combination comprising a vertical frame having an aperture therein and a substantially horizontal passage extending from said aperture to the edge of the frame, a crescent-shaped bearing seat disposed in said aperture and rotatable about its own center of curvature between a first position with its mouth opening into said passage and a second position with its mouth opening upward, an anti-friction bearing remov-ably mountable on the shaft of a cylinder, said shaft and hearing being movable through said passage into or out of said seat when the latter is in its first position, and means for moving said seat between its first and second positions.

20. In a press having interchangeable cylinders with shafts on their opposite ends, the combination comprising a vertical frame having an aperture therein and a substantially horizontal passage opening fro-m such aperture to the edge of the frame, a crescent-shaped bearing seat disposed in said aperture and rotatable about its own center of curvature between a first position with its mouth opening into said passage and a second position with its mouth opening upward, an anti-friction bearing removably mountable on the shaft of a press cylinder, said shaft and bearing being movable through said passage into or out of said seat when the latter is in its first position, means for moving said seat between its first and second positions, and a block insertable into said passage and shaped on the inner end thereof to conform to the external shape of the bearing seat.

21. The combination set forth in claim 19 in which said 14 means for moving said bearing seat between its two positions comprises a gear segment fastened to the seat, a pinion meshed with said segment, and means including a crank for rotating said pinion.

22. In a press adapted for interchange of cylinders, the combination comprising a cylinder having an end shaft, a vertical frame having an aperture therein and a substantially horizontal passage extending from said aperture to the edge of the frame, a crescent-shaped bearing seat disposed in said aperture and rotatable about its own center of curvature between a first position with its mouth opening into said passage and a second position with its mouth opening upward, an anti-friction bearing removably mounted on said shaft, said shaft and said bearing mounted thereon being movable through said passage into or out of said seat when the latter is in its first position, an'arcuate closure member movable through said passage into or out of closing relationship with the mouth of said seat when the latter is in its first position, and means for rotating said seat between its first and second positions, said closure member thus being moved with said seat as the latter is rotated to its second position.

23. In a press adapted for interchange of cylinders, the combination comprising a cylinder having an end shaft, a vertical frame having an aperture therein and a substantially horizontal passage extending from such aperture to the edge of the frame, a crescent-shaped bearing seat disposed in said aperture and rotatable about its own center of curvature between a first position with its mouth opening into said passage and a second position with its mouth opening upward, an anti-friction bearing removably mounted on said shaft, said shaft and bearing being movable through said passage into or out of said seat when the latter is in its first position, means for moving said seat between its first and second positions, a block insertable into said passage and shaped on the inner end thereof to conform to the external shape of the bearing seat, a slinger flange on said shaft and spaced axially from said bearing, a first labyrinth seal part fixed to said frame and partially embracing said shaft and slinger flange, and a second seal part fixed to said block and movable into closing relation with said first part around said shaft and slinger flange when said block is inserted into said passage.

24. In a press adapted for interchange of cylinders, the combination comprising a cylinder having an end shaft, a vertical frame having an aperture therein and a substantially horizontal passa'ge extending from said aperture to the edge of the frame, said shaft being movable through said passage for insertion into and removal from said aperture, means for supporting and journaling said shaft in said aperture, a block removably insertable into said passage to fill the latter, a slinger flange on said shaft axially interposed between said cylinder and said journa-ling means, a first arcuate seal part disposed on said frame to partially embrace said slinger flange when said shaft is disposed in said aperture, and a second arcuate seal part disposed on said block and adapted when the latter is inserted in said passage to interfit with said first part to totally embrace said slinger flange.

25. In a press having an apertured frame with a passage opening horizontally from the aperture to the edge of the frame, the combination comprising a cylinder having an end shaft, an anti-friction bearing removably telescoped over said shaft to a predetermined axial location thereon, said bearing being adapted wheninserted into said aperture to journal the shaft in said frame, an arm projecting horizontally outward from said frame, a first rail on the upper surface of said arm for rollingly supporting said shaft by engagement with the latter at a first point axially intermediate the cylinder and said bearing location when the bearing is alined to enter said passage, a second rail spaced transversely apart from said first rail in a direction parallel to the axis of said shaft to engage and rollingly support the latter at a second point axially intermediate the extremity of the shaft and said bearing location when the bearing is alined to enter said aperture, said second rail extending lengthwise along said passage to support said cylinder as said shaft and bearing are rolled into said aperture, said first and second rails partially overlapping in a direction lengthwise thereof but with the second rail having its farthest extremity from said frame located closer to the frame than the farthest extremity of said first rail, whereby said bearing may be axially removed from or placed on said shaft when the latter rests on said first rail, and said shaft may be rolled successively over said first and second rails, or vice versa, to insert the bearing into or remove it from said aperture.

References (Iited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Wood ......-.a Aug. 4, Barber Oct. 27, Crafts July 16, Jacobson Aug. 19, Dubois et a1. Jan. 17, Kaldschrnidt May 21,

FOREIGN PATENTS Germany Mar. 9, Great Britain June 23, Germany Feb. 27, 

